Stand Up

Chapter 10

So...sorry for the long wait :l but here it is! Enjoy :D 

Harry’s POV

We were expecting surprise and a certain amount of trepidation, but we didn’t think she’d do this.

“Put the phone down, love.” Niall said, making calming gestures.

I rolled my eyes, wondering why he thought that would work.

“You both need some help. There are people out there for this kind of thing, doctors to help you.”

Her dark green eyes were wild, and she was holding the phone out defensively, like a weapon to ward us off. Her feet were planted shoulder’s width apart, as though she was expecting us to rush her.

“You guys can sit down while I call the asylum to come pick you up…I’m pretty sure you’ve gone crazy. Loony. Insane. Bloody MAD.”

“We get it.” I said drily.

She shook her head, backing up to the couch.

“You need to go to the insane asylum.” She hissed, eyes flashing.

Niall sighed, plopping down on the floor in front of her. I stared at him, wondering what the hell he was doing.

“If you think we’re crazy, there isn’t much I can do about it. I might as well just sit here until you call them to come pick me up.”

She lowered the phone a little, watching him warily.

“What about you?” she glanced at me.

“I’m not going to sit down if that’s what you’re expecting.” I shrugged.

She dropped the phone and sat down on the couch, placing her head in her hands.

“Do you know what it is that you’re asking of me?”

Niall nodded, crawling to kneel in front of her. He placed his hands on her knees and gazed up at her covered face.

“We’re asking you to be with both of us. It doesn’t have anything to do with sex yet.”

He tried to comfort her with his words, and it seemed like it was working…at least until he said ‘yet’.

“Yet? What do you mean? If I have sex at all it’ll be with one person, and if it’s more than one it’s definitely not at the same time!”

She lifted her hands away from her face to glare at him, and I knew the exact moment when his mesmerizing eyes ensnared her. Her hands reached for his face, her expression soft. A small smile curved her lips, and the second her fingers touched the strands of his blond hair I knew she wasn’t mad anymore. I shook my head in wonder.

____

Niall’s POV

One of her small hands cupped my face as the fingers of the other ran through my hair, making me want to purr. I felt like a cat, being petted by her. I loved it, to be completely honest, and it looked like she was finally calming down.

“We understand that.” Harry broke the spell, kneeling beside me.

She leaned back, no longer touching me.

“Do you? I’m a monogamous person. I don’t have ménage relationships.”

Harry nodded, putting a big hand on her thigh and sighing.

“Neither do we. This will be a first for all of us.”

I voiced my agreement, laying my head down on her knee. She glanced at me, smiled, and then looked at Harry. He gazed back at her, an expression that I’d never seen on him crossing his face. She didn’t seem to notice, more or less oblivious to the raw emotions evident.

“I just…what would your fans think? I mean I obviously don’t care, but how would they react to me kissing one of you in public and then doing the same to the other.”

Harry snorted.

“We’re going to have one of us be the…lead in the relationship. Meaning you’ll go out with him in public and then be with the other in private. The fans won’t have to know anything, and no one'll ask you for an interview because unless you're famous...they just don't care."

She frowned, tilting her head.

"So one of you will be a dirty little secret? What happens if a pap or something catches us together while the other one is out or something--won't they immediately come to the conclusion that I'm cheating and the guy is helping?"

I rolled my eyes.

"If it comes down to that, we'll just tell the truth."

She sighed, staring at the ground. I think it wasn't just the public opinion that scared her, but her family's. What would they think of her? To us, the people participating in the relationship, it was  so obvious that she loved us and we loved her, but to them it may look like something...else. Although, from what I've heard of her mom I doubt she'd be as angry as Amanda surely thinks. 

But then, Harry and I hadn't stopped to think about Management. They really wanted us to be a successful band, and they would oppose on the thought that if we broke up, Harry and I would have a falling out. 

"We're all going to have some challenges," I told her, glancing at Harry, "but the thing is I love you, and Harry loves you, and hopefully you love us. We'll get through it; all we want is to be with you."

A smile flitted across her features before she flicked her eyes up to Harry.

"I'm sorry for the pain I caused." She whispered softly.

He raised both brows, an astonished look on his face.

"I don't think you understand; I fell in love with you first. If anyone's at fault, it's me."

She shook her head, but chose not to reply, instead sliding off of the couch to sit directly in front of me, reaching her arms out for a hug. I wrapped my arms around her holding her close and breathing her in.

"This is what you really, truly want?" She murmured.

I nodded.

"Ok. Ok, I'll do it."

____

Amanda's POV

This is crazy. The fact that I even agreed is crazy. My feelings for them were crazy. Everything right now was crazy. Then a thought occured to me as I stood up from the floor.

"What if a pap saw you two fighting?"

Harry furrowed his brow, and I realized then he'd been kind of aloof, like he was preparing for the worst. I went over to him, taking his face between my hands and staring into his eyes.

"What are you worrying about?" I asked him, disregarding the surprise on his face.

He looked at me for a long time, hard features finally softening.

"I was actually wondering the same thing...what if someone had seen?"

Niall stood up, crossing to the kitchen.

"Then we'll tell them we were drunk."

"But--"  

"Management will cover it." He shrugged.

And, like magic, Harry's phone went off, his face paling when he recognized the ringtone.

Management.  

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